Modified lard and process of



Reissued May 20, 1952 MODIFIED LARD AND PROCESS OF PRODUCING SAME RobertJ. Vander Wsi, Chicago, and Leon A. Van

Aiken-en, Oak Park, Ill and Company, Chicago, III., a corporationIllinois on to Armour No Drawing. can: No. 2,511,315, dated 00- m: is,1951. Serial No. 132.414, December 10, 1949. Application for reissueOctober 16, 1951,

Serial No. 251,649

13 Claims.

This invention relates to a treatment of lard to improve its propertiesparticularly for use in making cakes. The invention further deals withthe production of cakes wherein the modified lard is used as theshortening.

This application is a reissue of Patent No. 2,571,315, which is a.continuation-impart of our co-pending application, Serial No. 710,408.now abandoned, for Modified Lard.

Essentially lard is rendered pork fat. It is prepared and marketedprincipally in its pure or unblended form. It may also be sold in amixture of lard and vegetable fats, the vegetable fats being cottonseedoil, soybean oil. or the like. The vegetable oils used in such mixturesare customarily hydrogenated and impart stiifening quality orconsistency to the shortening. Whether or not the lard is blendedwlthvegetable oils, the consistency and melting point is frequently adjustedby the addition to it of hydrogenated fats known in the industry as"fiakes, such flakes being prepared by substantially completehydrogenation of a quantity oi fat. Melting point and consistency mayalso be adjusted by hydrogenation of the lard product itself. Alkalirefining is sometimes employed in an attempt to improve the character ofthe product. Such a refining step may be practiced either in connectionwith the lard itself or in connection with the fats which are blendedwith the lard.

Though the characteristics of lard make it an excellent shortening forfrying purposes, it has been regarded as inferior in some respects whenused in baking. Cakes baked by the usual methods using lard as theshortening do not have as great a volume as cakes baked in the samemanner using hydrogenated vegetable shortenings. all other conditionsbeing equal.

If it were possible to so modify lard as to substantially improve thevolume of cakes in which it is used, while still retaining its superiorqualities for making pies. etc. such modified lard product would excelall other types of shortening for general use. We have set ourselves tothis problem.

For convenience in comparing the cake volume-producing characteristicsof different shortenings, we have used a standard test procedure. Thisprocedure involves the use of the shortening Matter enclosed in heavybrackets 1 appears in the original patent but forms no part of thisreissue specification; matter printed in italics Indicates the additionsmade by reissue.

under test in baking a cake of the following formula:

.1 pound fine granulated sugar 8 ounces shortening A ounce salt 8 ounceseggs 8 ounces milk 1 pound fine cake flour The conditions of mixing andbaking are in each instance identical. The volume of the cake inmilliliters divided by its weight in grams, multiplied by 100, gives afigure which is representative of the cake volume-producingcharacteristics of the shortening being tested. The cakes bakedaccording to this standard procedure are modified pound cakes andhereinafter we will refer to the number arrived at according to themethod above explained as the pound cake volume" of the shortening usedin the test.

The minimum pound cake volume of a highgrade hydrogenated vegetableshortening is about 250. Natural lard hardened with flakes (the usuallard of commerce) gives a pound cake volume averaging about 200. If thetriglycerides oi lard could be rearranged by some simple treatmentwhereby its pound cake volume approximates or exceeds the minimumrequirements oi the hydrogenated vegetable shortening, a greatlyincreased benefit would be derived from the available supply of lard.

An object of this invention is to rearrange the triglycerides o! lard soas to increase its pound cake volume and improve its characteristics asa shortening. A further object is to provide an inexpensive process forthe treatment of lard to bring about a rearrangement of thetriglycerides therein whereby the pound cake volume thereof is greatlyincreased. Yet another object is to produce a cake 0! improvedcharacteristics formed through the use of lard which has been modifiedstructurally so as to respond unusually well in increasing the volume ofa cake per pound weight thereof. Other specific objects and advantageswill appear as the specification proceeds.

Lard differs from other fats as reflected by the results of itsreactions with various rearrangement catalysts. It differs further inthat it is excellent for the baking of pies but not as satisfactory forthe baking of cakes in that it will not produce cakes of a high volumeby the usual methods and for this reason it has had a somewhatunfavorable position as an all-around shortening. While it isessentially the same as many other edible. natural fats in so far as itscomponent acids are concerned. nevertheless its response to treatment orrearrangement has been found to be unique and especially in thetreatment which will be set out below for rearranging the constituentsof the lard to convert it into a vastly improved and satisfactoryshortening.

In carrying out our improved process we may heat lard in the presence ofan alkali metal alcoholate at a temperature preferably in theneighborhood of 50 C. and not exceeding a temperature of 150 C. At thelow temperature indicated, we find that an effective rearrangement ofthe lard molecules is brought about in response to a very short periodof treatment. The temperatux-e is critical and a table of temperatureswhich will be set out hereinafter will indicate the direct effect of thetemperature upon the pound cake volume of the treated material.

At temperatures in the neighborhood of 150 C., a sharp drop in the poundcake volume of the lard was found and further the product had a tendencyto darken and the lard. when a reaction temperature of 181 C. was used,there was a distinct black charring of the lard and the volume of thepound cake made therefrom fell to a figure of 1'10. The preferredtemperature is about 50 to 55 C., and the process was effective attemperatures up to 135 C. and a little above. Above 150 0., there was afalling off of the pound cake volume and in the color and quality of theproduct. The process can be operated at temperatures below 50 C.

Any alkali metal alcoholate may be used as a catalyst with satisfactoryresults. Some unusually effective examples may be set out as sodiummethoxide or ethoxide. We have found sodium methoxide effective as acatalyst and it is desirable further because of the extremely smallamount required. For example, from percentages varying between and 1%,best results are obtained at about .5% and a diminishing curve ofresults is obtained when the quantity is greater than 1%.

The time of treatment may be varied widely, but we find that only arelatively short time, between 5 and 20 minutes, is necessary to producethe maximum in improved results. A treatment of only 5 to minutes givesexcellent results.

A specific example of the process may be set out as follows:

EXAMPLE I 150 grams of lard were filtered through a coarse filter paperand vacuum dried. The lard was heated to 55 C. and 3.75 grams (0.5%) offresh sodium methoxide were added with rapid stirring. The mass was keptat 55 C. for one hour while stirring. 14 cc. of water were then added todestroy the catalyst and flocculate the sodium soap formed. (Whatremained was the modified lard, the sodium-fatty acid soap and theesters formed by the alcohol radical of the catalyst reacted with fattyacid radicals present in the lard.) The mass was kept well above themelting point and filtered through a bed of High-Flo Supercel. Thisremoved the soap and most of the colored matter. Next. 8% of lard flakeswere added to give the product a desired hardness and there was acharring of the resulting mixture was passed through a pie. ticizer. Themixture was allowed to stand 2! hours at 80 F. to reach a desiredcrystalline structure, and after this "tempering" step, a pound cake wasprepared using the above modifled shortening. A pound cake volume of2'74 was obtained.

EXAMPLE II The same general procedure as Example I was followed, withthe exception that the temperature was raised from to 90 C. during thecourse of the reaction and was held at 55 C. during most of this period.The pound cake volume in this example was 211.

EXAMPLE III.CONTROL Control samples were used to check all the bakingvolumes. These controls consisted of the original lard not subjected tomodification, but otherwise subjected to the same procedures. The poundcake volume of a typical example was 205.

A series of tests were made comparing the volumes of cakes baked usingnatural lard with the volume obtained under the same conditions usingour modified lard. In this series of tests, the same procedure was usedas in Example I, except that no flakes were added. The results of thesetests are given in the following Table I:

TABLE I POUND CAKE VOLUMES Natural Modified Lard Lard The criticaleflect of temperature upon the results obtained is shown by thefollowing table of reaction temperatures:

Reaction Pound Tamper- Cake stun Volume as 274 a 70 m1 ,125 21a an an181 From the above table of reaction temperatures, as correlated withthe pound cake volume value of the product, it is apparent that bestresults are obtained at low temperatures and that after about 135 0.,there is a definite falling of! of the pound cake volume of the product.Above 150 0., there is a sharp falling off of the pound cake volumevalue. At 181 C., the pound cake volume was as low as 170 cc. and theproduct showed a distinct black charring. As shown by table above. thepound cake volume of the product dropped below the pound cake volumevalue of the original lard being treated at a temperature well below 200C. and in the neighborhood of C.

In each of the foregoing shortening was incorporated tests the modifiedinto the standard cake batter and the cakes baked under the samecontrolled conditions.

The improvement in cake volume due to our special treatment is notconfined to the pound cakes used in our standard comparative tests. Thefollowing Example IV illustrates the advantage gained in connection witha white layer cake:

EXAMPLE IV Cakes were made according to the followin formula for whitelayer cake:

510 grams granulated sugar 170 grams shortening 14 grams salt 284 gramsegg whites 280 grams milk 354 grams flour 14 grams baking powder Thebatter was scaled to 13% ounces in 8" layer pans and baked at 350 F. forapproximately 1'? minutes. The volume (in ml./l00 gms.) of the cakesbaked in this manner using our modified lard as the shortening was 275.while with ordinary or natural lard in the same procedure and using thesame formula we obtained a volume of only 250.

What precise rearrangement of the triglyceride molecule occurs, we areunable to state. There is, of course, some forming of esters duringcatalysts, but upon the removal of such residual esters, it was foundthat the modified lard had a pound cake volume Just as good, if notbetter, than when such esters remained in the lard. While the formationof esters closely followed the improved characteristics of the lard, itis safe to say that improvement of the product was not due to thepresence of such esters. Every indication is that the improvement is dueto a definite rearrangement of the triglyceride molecule. For example, amixture rich in trisaturated molecules (V lard flakes and ,5 olive oil)was treated with sodium methoxide. By test, this product was found tocontain 3.5% trisaturated molecules per unit volume. An unmodifiedsample of the same mixture was found to contain 21.1% trisaturatedmolecules per unit volume. This is conclusive evidence that arearrangement oi the molecule has occurred.

Further evidence with respect to the rearrangement of the triglyceridemolecule may be seen from cooling curves plotted from the coolingtemperatures of modified and untreated lard. The cooling curve of themodified lard forms a relatively straight line curve, while that of theuntreated lard shows a "hump" in the 20 to 25 C. range. This hump is dueto the heat of formation of crystals as the product solidifies. The factthat such change in the rate of cooling does not occur in the modifiedlard indicates that some sort of rearrangement of the molecule hasoccurred.

Though it is not essential to the process of rearrangement, we prefer toinactivate the catalyst in order to obtain the best product. This can bedone conveniently by adding water to the liquid mixture.

It is desirable to remove the products of hydrolysis by filtering orcentrifuging and to distill the esters formed during the reaction, butsuch removal is not essential to the operation of our rearrangementprocess.

We are not aware what. i! any. changes occur in the sodium methoxide orother metal alcoholate after addition to the lard. However, in thepresent specification and claims we use the term sodium methoxide" or"metal aloohoiate" to designate the agent whether in its original stateor as it may be modified after addition to the lard.

It is an advantage of our process that lard may be converted to animproved condition without the addition or removal of any selected fattyacid constituent. As we prefer to operate our process, the entireglyceride being treated is maintained in liquid phase during thetreatment, and each portion of the shortening is subjected to theinfluence of the catalyst. In this way improved baking quality isaccomplished while still retaining the better pie crust characteristicsof lard.

Since it is possible that our process may be accompanied by a refiningeffect, we tried some tests comparing the cake volumes obtained usingalkali refined lard with the volumes obtained using natural lard. Theresults of these tests are given in Table II as follows:

As will be seen from the above table, the alkali refining operationgives very little. if any, improvement in cake volume, certainly noimprovement comparable to that obtained using our modified lard.

The process has been applied to other glycerides without substantiallyimproving them. while with lard a singular and unusual improvement isbrought about. Various selected oils and fats were treated with sodiummethoxide for 15 to 60 minutes at 50 to- C. in order to furtherrearrangement of the :fatty acids on the triglyceride molecule. Afterrearrangement was completed, the catalyst was hydrolyzed with water andthe product filtered. The materials were then tested according to thepound cake volume method already described herein.

The results disclosed that when a low temperature rearrangement processis applied to various representative triglycerides, a phenomenonresulting in an improved shortening occurs only with lard. Althoughrearrangement of the fatty acids on the triglycerides can beaccomplished with other fats, we have not been able to recognize anyaccompanying factors which make them better shortenings, as measured bypound cake test. This type of improvement seems to be peculiar tonatural lard. The natural lard while being improved greatly. as measuredby the pound cake test, retains its excellent property for the baking ofpie crusts.

In the foregoing tests, efforts to find an improvement in a rearranged"synthetic lard were equally fruitless. The synthetic lard was preparedby mixing theoretical amounts of triglycerides which would produce theover-all combination of fatty acids (as triglycerides) known to bepresent in lard in maior quantities.

The following table sets iorth the conditions and results of the testsdescribed above:

8 heating the lard for a period not substantially exceeding to 20minutes in the presence of Percent Pound Pound Rear- Time 238? Cake CakeShortening composition range- 0! of Volume Volume ment Reaction mm"unrearrear- Cetslyst ranged ranged 0. cc. cc. Cottonseed Oil +20% Flakesi 1 hour. (it) 268 274 Mutton Tallow l do".-. b0 196 m2 Me hsden OilFlakes 1 22 min. 75 268 261 Edi le Beef Tallow +13% Flakes l 15 min 70219 201) Horse 011 +107 F es 1 17 min. 55 290 297 H drogenated VegetableOil (35% Soybea 65% ottonseed 0. 5 30 min. (-5 264 2% Whale Oil +8 1,Fiaires 0. 5 15 min 50 274 279 Chicken Fat 410% Flakes l 1.0 1 hour.. on215 m Ordinary Lard (Prime Steam all fat except Lea! Fat oi Hog; 0. 5 30min 65 150 233 Killingl rd (Belly Fat oi Hog) 0. 5 1 hour. 73 i7? 250 "Sn etio Lard-334% Beef taiiow, 32%% Olive all Cottonseed Oil (StearioAcid m "Fiakesfl Approximate Fatty Acid Composition of Lard 1 d0. 60 281226 1 The lard Wishes" (hydrogenated lard l. V. 1.5) were added to thevarious fats alter the rearrangement process was carried out. poundcake.

It will be noted from the foregoing that ordinary or natural lardresponded to the process by a great increase in the pound cake volumewhile substantially no response in this respect was found in the othermaterial suggested with the same process.

While in the foregoing description. we have set forth one embodiment ofthe invention by way of example and in considerable detail, it will beunderstood that the details of the process may be modified widely bythose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of ourinventlon.

We claim:

1. In a process for treating lard. the steps of heating the lard inliquid phase and in the presence of a metal alcoholate at temperaturesabout 50-150 C.

2. In a process for treating lard. the steps of heating the lard in thepresence or a. metal alcoholate at a temperature between about 50 to 135C.

3. In a process for treating lard, the steps of heating the lard in thepresence of a metal aleoholate at a temperature in the neighborhood of50 to 55 C.

4. In a process for treating lard, the steps of heating the lard in thepresence 01' sodium methoxide at a temperature between about 50 and 135C.

5. In a process for treating lard to rearrange the triglyceride moleculethereof, the steps of heating the lard in the presence of about 0.5% ofsodium methoxide and at a temperature between about 50 and 135 C.

6. In a process for heating lard, the steps of heating the lard for aperiod not substantially exceeding 5 to 20 minutes in the presence or ametal alcoholate at a temperature between about 50 and 135 C.

7. In a process for treating lard, the steps of Sulllcwnt flakes wereadded as a means to give the proper working consistency for preparing asodium methoxide at a temperature between about 50 and C.

8. In a process for treating lard to rearrange the triglyceridemolecules thereof, the steps of heating the lard in the presence ofsodium methoxide for a period in the neighborhood of 10 minutes and at atemperature in the neighborhood of 55" C.

9. In a process for treating lard, the steps of heating the lard inliquid phase to a temperature between about 50 to 135 C. and addin ametal alcoholate to the heated lard.

10. A shortening product comprising lard in which the triglyceridemolecule has been rearranged in accordance with the process set out inclaim 1.

11. A shortening product comprising lard in which the triglyceridemolecule has been rearranged in accordance with the process set out inclaim 3.

12. A shortening product comprising lard in which the triglyceridemolecule has been rearranged in accordance with the process set out inclaim 5.

13. In a process for treating lord. the steps of heating lard in liquidphase and in the presence of a metal clcoholate at a temperature betweenthat necessary to keep said lard. in liquid phase and about 50 C.

ROBERT J. VANDER WAL. LEON A. VAN AKKEREN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent or the original patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,309,949 Gooding Feb. 2, 19432,442,531 Eckey June 1, 1948 Certificate of Correction Reissue No.23,499 May 20, 1952 ROBERT J. VANDER WAL ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 5, line 20, for 354 read 453 line 33, for catalysts readcatalysis and that the said Letters Patent should be read as correctedabove, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in thePatent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of October, A. D. 1952.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents.

